Well, I'm now Wendy.

Fuck you Father Way.

To be perfectly honest I think I'd rather go to church everyday at like eight AM or something, oh wait I already do that.

Um, I'd rather have detention all afternoon today, nope I have to do that as well for telling the priest to go fuck himself after the auditions.

Here's one, I'd rather, fucking die.

Seriously, Wendy's what I consider to be one of the lost annoying characters ever.

For a start she's girly, she wears a nightgown all the time, I know it's the fashion of the day but it's still stupid.

Another is that she's so serious, she wants to grow up and be an adult, why would she want to do that when she can happily live in Neverland, being young forever?

I don't know, maybe I'm just bitching too much but I think it's all bullshit and now I have to play the character, wonderful.

Why would Father Way want to do that to me?

What have I ever done to him?

I would have happily played The Narrator, I get to stay backstage, out of the spotlight, I could have done it in my pajamas if I wanted to.

I don't get that bloody option now.

No I have to play a sissy character who had no personality whatsoever and I don't get to turn down the role.

I actually hate Gerard more now than I did when he gave me detention for the first time.

The worst part was the goddamn look on his face when he said those cursed words, 'actually, I think she'd make a beautiful Wendy,' I don't care if he said 'beautiful' I don't want the role.

Ugh, I'm so angry I want to hurt something or someone, I don't care who or what it is, I just want to stop the boiling of my blood.

Normally if I was feeling upset I'd call one of my friends up and rant to them about wherever my problem was. They'd listen and they'd care but I can't do it here.

Sure I know Iris but imagine her trying to listen to me rant, she'd be terrified because I can get very passionate about certain topics.

For example we have the rant I've been going over for the past twenty minutes about how much I hated getting detention and how I planned to kill almost everyone in the school play.

I didn't deserve detention, I hardly did anything at all, sure I told Father Way to go fuck himself but it was just one little swearword, it's not that bad.

I need out, I need a temporary break from the school and the tossers in it but I'm pretty sure I can't just go off grounds when I have detention to serve.

If I tried really hard then I guess there's a chance I could sneak out, I don't care even if the punishment of getting caught would be huge.

What the worst thing the school could do, I already have detention and I'd just get more anyway.

Besides, aside from the fact I want to kill him from inflicting me with the role of Wendy I don't have that much of a problem spending an afternoon with Gerard.

What would I do with a whole afternoon of detention now anyway?

I helped him clean out the attic, I can't really think of anything else I could do.

"Ugh, I just want to strangle him!" I growled, making the gestures you'd associate with asphyxiation while Iris stared at me as if I'd gone mad, which I was on my way to.

"Well you did tell him to go um, eff himself." She mumbled, looking uncomfortable by simply saying eff, it's not like she said fuck.

"He fucking deserved and deserves it, he was being a complete prick. Did you see how he was smiling at me when the teachers and principal looked away?" Iris lifted her head for a moment so I could see the confused frown on her face before quietly responding with a simple 'no.'

Of course he wouldn't be stupid enough to be seen by anyone, I should have realised that immediately.

I'd he knew he'd get caught then he wouldn't have done it.

The most annoyingly, adorable and frustrating part was that it was a very specific smile.

A hint of flirtation but it's main aim was to seem as mocking as possible.

How do I know this?

I've done it to him.

Besides, it was the exact smile I was getting from him right now as Iris and I walked up to the church.

"See, that look. He's doing it right now." I whispered to Iris and she glanced at him then turned to me with a skeptical expression.

"No he's not." I glanced at the priest standing on the church steps, leaning on a wooden railing with his arms crossed.

She was right, he looked completely normal, no mocking smirk or disturbingly-attractive-since-he's-a-priest-grin.

"It's very nice to see you again, Lainey." Father Way said as Iris and I walked up the stair, stopping in front of him.

"Oh fuck you." I muttered under my breath, clenching my jaw and trying to not swear my head off at him.

"What was that?" I saw a ghost of that signature smile before his face returned to normal.

"Nice to see you too." I replied grudgingly, clenching my hand into a fist to resist the urge to hurt him.

"Okay, since you ran out of the music hall before we got a chance to talk you over everything, here's your script." He pulled a thick book of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to me.

I opened it and looked at some of the lines that'd been highlighted, there were a lot.

"I hope you'll enjoy your afternoon memorizing your lines." I chewed on the inside of my lip, wanting to say so much but knowing there was very few I could get away with.

"Should be fun." I told him through clenched teeth which is much harder than it sounds.

"Iris would you like to come in and practice your lines with Lainey?" He asked my blonde haired friend who immediately shook her head.

"Father, I don't know if I'll even have a role let alone know which one." She mumbled, awkwardly putting her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Don't worry Iris, I'm sure you'll get the role you want." She slowly looked up and gave him a soft smile that was gone before it was even there.

"Really?"

He put a band on her shoulder and gave her a smile that I didn't want to punch him for, for once.

"Really."

She said a goodbye to me then turned around and walked across the grounds, heading back for the dorms where she would more than likely start studying.

"How long do I have to be here before I can leave?" I sighed and rolled the script up, deciding that if he says anything over five goes I was going to hit him with it.

He glanced at his watch, frowning when he saw the time.

"It's two now so I'd say four hours should be sufficient for you to learn a lesson." I scowled, I don't want to be forced to memorize my lines for four hours, it'd be more fun helping him clear out the attic again.

He gave me a sickeningly sweet smile as I walked around him and into the church, making myself comfortable on the pew furthest to the back.

Glancing up at the priest who was leaning against a wall, flicking through a bible I pulled out my iPod and switched to the piece of technology that entertained me much more than him.

I put an earbud in and pressed play, willing to happily listen to anything at the moment.

I've lost the plot again
Tell your friends to sharpen their teeth
There's a few quid to be made...

And my soul's a sorry state
So come on down, you're empty lovers.
Worms come out of the woodwork
And the snakes start to sing.

Do you feel the chill,
Clawing at the back of your neck?
I start to spill.
Did you really think that you could fix me?
They'll sell your bones for another roll.
Well sharpen your teeth.
Tell yourself that it's just business.

Worms come out of the woodwork.
Leeches crawl from out of the dirt
Rats come out of the holes they call home,
I fall apart.
And the snakes start to sing.

Don't say I'm better off dead,
'Cause heaven's full and hell won't have me.
Won't you make some room in your bed?
Oh, well you could lock me up in your heart,
And throw away the key.
Won't you take me out of my head?

I'm just a would've been, could've been,
Should've been, never was and never ever will be.
Well, sharpen your teeth.
Tell yourself that it's just business.
Would've been, could've been,
Should've been, never was, and never ever will be.
Worms come out of the woodwork,
And the snakes start to sing.

Worms come out of the woodwork.
Leeches crawl from out of the dirt
Rats come out of the holes they call home,
I fall apart.
And the snakes start to sing.

If you can't soar with the eagles,
Then don't fly with the flock.
Are you still getting high?
Did you catch your own reflection,
In the knife my mother held?
Or the hell in my father's eyes?

If you can't soar with the eagles,
Then don't fly with the flock.
Are you still getting by?
Was I your knight in shining armor?
The apple of your eye?
Or just a step to climb?

If you can't soar with the eagles,
Then don't fly with the flock.
Are you still getting high?

Did you catch your own reflection,
In the knife my mother held?
Or the hell in my father's eyes?
If you can't soar with the eagles,

Then don't fly with the flock.
Are you still getting by?
Was I your knight in shining armor?
Or the apple of your eye?
Or just a step, a fucking step to climb?

~~~
A Week Later
~~~

"Come on, we have to go." Iris said, tugging on my arm and trying to pull me towards the music hall.

Today everyone got their parts allocated but I didn't feel the need to go at all.

I already knew who I was going to be playing, I didn't like it but I still know.

The only reason I was going was because Iris wanted me to, she thought I'd be some lucky charm that'd help her her the role of Mrs. Darling.

It sounds crazy, I know.

"Chill it." I told Iris, following her out of the gazebo where we'd been hanging out for the past half hour.

Iris had been thrown headfirst into my music choices and she loved everything I'd get her to listen to, from Bullet For My Valentine to Fall Out Boy.

It was nice to have someone around who I could music fangirl with, I didn't think I'd be able to make friends at this place.

After hanging out with her for a while Iris had really started to come out of her shell and would now make eye contact with people when talking to them.

"Do you think I'll get the role?" She asked nervously as we neared the imposing music hall that seemed like it took up half the school.

"You have a great chance." She'd been asking all day long without a pause, it wasn't hard to see that she was freaking out a little.

"Besides, we'll find out any moment now." I told her, pushing the door open and walking in, it felt like a repeat of the auditions.

I swear if Gerard is in there doing that stupid motherfucking smile at me I'll have a fit.

Most of the students had already filled in and filled half the gigantic room, there were still plenty of seats available though.

If I remember right I read that the theater room was built to seat the whole town.

This place took their plays seriously.

Within moments of sitting down the principal and drama teacher walked out on stage, both holding microphones.

"Hello, it's nice to see all your wonderful faces here today!" Miss Coping said happily, her face lighting up like she'd taken a pharmacies worth full of pills.

"We've aware that you've all wanted to know who shall be playing what and we have finally made our decisions." Before Miss Coping could continue Mrs Rhys cut in and stopped her.

"Yes and in no particular order I will announce the major and not so major characters and who shall play them." Iris started squeezing my arm, so hard I could feel her blunt fingernails digging into my skin.

"Tiger Lily is to be played by Ellen Vega." There was some brief clapping and I watched as a girl a couple of seats ahead of me squealed with her friends.

"Pauline and Ginger Roberts will play The Twins, Angelica Lynch as Nana the Dog..." The drama teacher continued to blather on, placing names I didn't know with roles I couldn't care about.

As the amount of characters to be names slimmed down Iris clenched my arm even harder and I felt there was a likely chance I could get a bruise or two.

I whispered to my friend that everything would turn out all right but she seemed determined to not listen to me no matter how hard I tried.

I could understand that it was harder for her to listen to this than it was for me.

She really wanted the role of Mrs Darling while I couldn't care if I was in the play at all.

I wanted her to get the character but it was hard for me to be enthusiastic when I didn't care about it a great deal.

"Edith Craig as Captain Hook." They'd already put a face to Mr Darling and the only characters yet to be named were Mrs Darling, Wendy and Peter Pan and we already knew who Wendy was.

"The student portraying Mrs Darling truly impressed us with her audition." Mrs Rhys told the room and Iris mouthed 'that can't be me,' it was such a sham she couldn't see herself in a positive light.

"So I will inform you all that our resident field-mouse Iris McCoy shall be our Mrs Darling." Next to me Iris went stiff as a board, her mouth falling open from sheer disbelief.

"Told ya not to worry." I whispered, it took her a moment to close her mouth and snap back to reality.

Iris dropped her head into her hands, taking deep breaths and repeating 'oh my' over and over again.

"Elyria Colfort shall be playing the role of Wendy." I frowned, having the Mrs Rhys remind me of that wasn't exactly the best thing in the world.

She lowered the microphone and Miss Coping held hers up with a huge smile stuck to her face.

"Now we have one role left, Peter Pan. If there is one thing I haven't understood about the auditions it is that nobody here seems to be interested in playing this character, so..." What, was Father Way going to suggest I do this one as well?

"We've called in the help of sister school Ironbark Boys Grammar and made good use of the schools most achieved actor, Luka Coping, my own nephew."

Girls immediately started whispering and squealing under their breaths at the thought of a guy in the school.

As much as I didn't want to be like them I had to admit I was a little excited as well.

"I would like all students mentioned to come up here and take a bow." There was the sound of people shuffling around and Iris and I stood up then walked down the stairs.

"I got the role, how?" Iris muttered to herself, still not seeming to catch on the she was a good actress.

We stepped onto the stage along with thirty or so other people, it's and I getting to stand at the front since we were the more major of the characters.

"This is the cast of Peter Pan, each one carefully selected from the best auditions. Give them a round of applause and our soon to be actors, take a bow." The sound of clapping filled the room and I glanced at Iris who'd gone bright red in response.

She's gonna have to work at controlling that for the play, there's gonna be a lot of people clapping.

I don't think I'll have too much trouble not blushing.

Everyone on stage bowed like the principal asked with me being the only one who didn't move.

The priest in the front row had caught my attention.

Gerard had his hands folded on his lap and when my eyes locked with his he slowly waved at me, making it as unobvious as possible.

Then, like always there was that goddamn, motherfucking smile that made me unable to decide whether I wanted to kill him or throw him onto a bed and rape him.

As rusty as my lipreading may be I swear he said something about me being Wendy.

It could have been anything, it didn't make me less angry at him.

"Thank you very much for auditioning everyone and we wish you luck for next year, you are all dismissed!" Taking the opportunity to escape before the principal decided to add anything else the students left, only a few remaining on stage.

After hearing the cast it was really nice to see the look on Tiffany's face after the names being announced.

Judging by her expression she thought she was going to get a role.

"Hey, you're going to be Wendy right?" I jumped slightly at the unexpected voice then had to blink a couple of times just to be sure the person I was seeing was real.

"I'm Luka, I'll be playing Peter Pan." English boy, very good looking, cute as hell English boy.

Light brown hair just long enough that it curled around his ears, caramel eyes that could almost be considered golden, straight white smile...hehe.

"Ye-yeah, I'm Elyria, uh, Lainey. People call me Lainey." I shook his hand, feeling my face go red after tripping on my words like an idiot.

"It's nice to meet you, you're an American." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and I nodded, confirming it.

It was weird but I've noticed that the question I get asked most often in here was if I was American, which I obviously was.

"I'm from Chicago." I mumbled, feeling my face go red again, why was I blushing so much around someone I've just met?

He's just so cute.

"We don't have many Americans come to Ironbark or Rosehill, they think it's too strict." He chuckled and I smiled, this place was way too strict but I've learnt to deal with it.

"Well I'm here now, can't exactly go back whenever I feel like it." He laughed again and put his hands into his pockets.

This was really nice, talking with a guy my age for once.

The only other members of the male species that I've seen while being around here was Father Way, the janitor and my science teacher.

"So you're Miss Coping's nephew?" I started up a conversation with him as best as I could.

I wanted to talk to him and it'd be easier to be in a play with someone I got along with.

"Yep, that's what I've been told anyway." He flipped his hair out of his face and my brain went a bit ditzy for a moment.

"Do you come to the girls school often?" I was doing a bad job at chatting, ok could usually come up with better topics but my mind had blanked out.

"No, I don't even think I know where the lavatories are." Oh squee, I love it when English people use their English words.

"I could show you around if you like, I'm new here myself so I don't exactly know where everything is but I think my friend Iris could help." I offered, the gestures he did seeming cuter by the second.

I need to go into town more.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to get in the way or keep you girls from something you need to do." I waved him off, it was no big deal at all and I know Iris wording have a problem.

"Yep, it's no trouble. We can talk about the play as we walk if that helps any." The suggestion made him smile which in turn caused my heart to beat quickly in my stomach.

"Cool, in that case take me to your people." He draped an arm over my shoulder and I found it hard to breathe which wasn't the best of thing a when you were trying to talk.

I could see Iris on the other side of the stage, talking to the girl called Ginger and with Luka's arm still around my shoulders I walked over to her.

The only moment I looked away from my friend or the guy I was in the process if wooing was to shoot a glance at Gerard.

The priest.

Who was looking very angry.

My eyes caught his and his jaw visibly clenched, hands curled into fists at his sides.
He huffed, closed his eyes, seeming to take a deep breath before shooting a glare at me.

No, not at me.
Through me.

At Luka, who was telling me about the kinds of people there were at his school.

That smile, the one I associated had left Father Way's face and now his expression was one of anger and annoyance.

Not making eye contact with me again he turned away and walked up the stairs, silently leaving the music hall but leaving his rage to linger behind him.

Well there's a plot twist.